es2627 — Organisation Release
Kosmisches Kino in Search of Planet B
8 September 2026
Is there another planet on which humans could live? Join the ORIGINS Cluster of Excellence and Dr Leonard Burtscher at the next Kosmisches Kino for a on a search for a Planet B and view our cosmic home through the eyes of astronomy.
Since the discovery of the first planet outside our solar system around thirty years ago, astronomers have found more than 7000 such exoplanets. In the process, our understanding of how planets form, how varied they can be, and which conditions might be important for the emergence of life has also grown. For complex life to emerge, many favourable factors must come together. On the other hand, it is highly likely that there are many more exoplanets than those already known. So is there another planet on which humans could live?
And would that be our ‘Planet B’? Astronomy and space exploration have not only brought us insights into other worlds; they have also given us new perspectives on our own planet. Perspectives that show our Earth as a small and insignificant ‘pale blue dot’. And at the same time, they also reveal just how special and unique our cosmic home is.
In this German Kosmischen Kino, we join Dr Leonard Burtscher, co-founder of ‘Astronomers for Planet Earth’, on a search for a Planet B under the dome of the ESO Supernova planetarium.
More information
What is Kosmisches Kino?
Kosmisches Kino (Cosmic Cinema) takes visitors into the breathtaking depths of space. Researchers from the ORIGINS Cluster of Excellence will accompany you on your journey through the cosmos with selected excerpts from planetarium films and an associated lecture.
Sit back and marvel. Want to know more? Just ask! Kosmisches Kino events take place under the dome of the planetarium. They offer all visitors, no prior knowledge required, an atmospheric insight into the world of research and provide you with new perspectives. At the end of the event, the researchers answer questions from the audience.
The lecture series Kosmisches Kino is a collaboration between ESO and the ORIGINS Cluster of Excellence and presents current research topics. The ORIGINS Excellence Cluster combines astrophysics, particle physics and biophysics to investigate the formation of the universe and the origin of life. The lectures address exciting questions that current research is investigating: Is there a common thread connecting the Big Bang with the origin of life? How do you measure radiation from space and its effect on humans? Where and how do planets and stars form? What is Dark Matter? What are the building blocks of life on Earth and do they exist elsewhere in space? These and many other questions will be addressed over the course of the event series.
Admission to the approximately one-hour-long evening event with planetarium visualisations, a live lecture and open discussion costs 6.50 Euros per person. Events are aimed at people aged 12 years and over.
Links
- Book your tickets for Is there a Planet B?
- ESO Supernova planetarium programme
- Plan your visit
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- Follow us on Instagram
Contacts
ESO Supernova Planetarium & Besucherzentrum
Garching b. München, Germany
Tel: 08932006900
Email: supernova@eso.org
About the Release
| Release No.: | es2627 |
